Women guilty of bus station assault (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Women guilty of bus station assault

3:54pm Friday 23rd February 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Two women have been remanded in custody after admitting taking part in an attempted robbery at Swindon bus station.

Gemma Newell, 23, and Miaya Bryan, 28, have both pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob a woman in April last year.

Newell, of Commercial Road, also admitted the theft of a handbag and contents from a man on the same day and Bryan, 28, a common assault on another man.

Bryan, of Morris Street, pleaded guilty to the two counts she faces in August last year and has been in custody ever since.

Newell pleaded not guilty to assault with intent to rob and to a separate charge of robbery and was released on bail.

But she changed her plea to the first charge on the day she was due to stand trial and admitted theft as an alternative to the robbery allegation.

After hearing the change of plea at Swindon Crown Court today , Recorder Christopher Kemp revoked her bail and remanded Newell into custody.

Both of the women will now face sentence on Friday, March 9.

The incident took place on Sunday, April 9 last year when the two women attacked victim Michelle Read at the bus station.

They were trying to get her bag during the attack but she managed to hand it to a man only, for Newell to then steal it from him.

Both women have a history of offending; Bryan's past is littered with drug abuse, theft and prostitution.

Newell has fewer previous convictions but was fined in 2005 for escaping from lawful custody.

In September last year her boyfriend Michael Turner died from an overdose of heroin in the toilets at Swindon train station.